Glossary
Guardian Tiger Guardian Tiger (虎爺, Huye) Huye (lit."Lord Tiger") is a god in Chinese folk religion who is generally worshiped in temples of other Chinese deities. With the appearance of a tiger, Huye is usually believed to be the guardian of other gods. Therefore, in Nekojishi Huye is referred to as a "Guardian Tiger". To many folks, Guardian Tigers not only protect gods themselves, but also protect the treasuries of gods. Therefore some people consider Huye as symbols of wealth. It's also believed that Guardian Tigers can protect children and cure ill patients. It is said that they are also particularly good at treating tonsillitis. Traditionally, people provide Guardian Tigers raw eggs and meats as offerings. In the modern world, rumours have it that Guardian Tigers love Kentucky Fried Chicken. However, not all Guardian Tigers prefer KFC to raw meat. It is advised that those who bring KFC as offerings should also bring raw meats along. Beigang Chao-Tian Temple and Hsin-Kang Mazu Temple (aka. Hsin-Kang Fengtian Gong) are two famous temples that worship Huye and organise related events. You can also find the Taipei Tiger Group (run by Beigang Chao-Tian Temple) on facebook. Jitong Jitong (乩童) In Chinese folk religion, a Jitong, or Tongji (lit. "divining youth" or "youth diviner") is a person believed to have been chosen by the deities to serve as a medium between them and humans. Jitong are usually chosen on their virtues as a representative to communicate with their people. People can also ask questions to the gods through the Jitong. However, a deity will only possess the body of a Jitong when they need to say something directly. Therefore, consulting a Jitong during such times is considered as talking to a deity directly. Many temples have specific schedules when people can consult Jitong. City God City God (城隍, Chenghuang) In Chinese vernacular, Cheng huang (lit. "the walls and the moat") usually refers to Chenghuangshen (lit. "god of the moat and the walls"), or simply the "City God". The place of city god is usually taken by a famous local resident after their death. They are governors of the afterlife realm and like their living counterparts, they rule over and deal with affairs within their assigned city. For this reason, officials often worship their local city god in hope of having them coordinate work in both realms. Traditionally, a City God only protects people living within a particular area. However, many immigrants still worship the City Gods of their hometowns even after moving to Taiwan. For example, the famous Xia-Hai City God in Taipei is actually the City God of Tong-an, Fujian. In this case, many "non-local City Gods" in Taiwan are no longer referred as Chenghuang although people still wors hip them as local deities. The City God Temple of the Taiwan Prefecture was built in Tainan during the Ming Dynasty. Later, the Qing government upgraded the Hsinchu City God Temple to the prefectural City God Temple. After World War II, the City God Temple of Taiwan Province was built in Taipei. It is often debated which of these three City Gods rules Taiwan. Holy Mother Holy Mother (天上聖母, Tianshang Shengmu) Often known as Mazu (媽祖 , lit. " mother-ancestor") or Tianhou (天后, lit. "Empress of Heaven"), she is the Chinese patron goddess who protects seafarers. Mazu is widely worshiped in the coastal regions of China and other places in East/Southeast Asia. According to legend, Mazu was born during the Song Dynasty on Meizhou Island, Fujian. She had the name Lin Moniang (林默娘, Lin is her family name and Moniang means "Silent Girl"). When Mazu was young, she wore red garments while standing on the shore to guide fishing boats home, even in the most dangerous and harsh weather. It is rumoured that she can predict the weather, helping sailors to know when should they set sail. When Mazu died at the age of 28, the local people believed that she flew to heaven and became a goddess. Starting in Fujian, worship of Mazuspread to the neighbouring coastal provinces of Zhejiang and Guangdong, and from there on to all coastal areas of mainland China. Through emigration and especially through Chinese diaspora during the 19th and 20th centuries, worship of Mazu further spread to Taiwan, Vietnam, Ryukyu, Japan, and South East Asia. The role of Mazu as patron of the seas caused newly arrived immigrants to often build temples of her first to show their gratitude for their safe journeys. Today, worship of Mazu is also found in other countries with sizeable populations from these regions. Possessing Ritual Possessing ritual (起乩,' Qiji)' Qiji (lit. divination) refers to the ritual of a Jitong being possessed by aspirit. Also known as Fuji (Spirit writing). Depending on the spirit, Jitong or local cultures, the ritual has many variations. For example, if possessed by Ji Gong (A minor deity in Chinese folk religion, usually depicted with a bottle of wine in their right hand), the Jitong will appear drunk. Afterwards the Jitong's memory of being possessed will differ as well. Oracle‘s Misfortune Oracle’s Misfortune (五弊三缺, Wu-bi-san-que) Wu-bi-san-que (lit. "The five misfortunes and three drawbacks") is a rumour that those who try to unveil the heaven's secrets (Oracles and fortune-tellers alike) will be punished by the gods. Those that are punished are said to lose their relatives and friends (Five misfortunes), while also lacking in wealth, health and influence (Three drawbacks). Rukai Rukai The Rukai are one of Taiwan's aboriginal peoples. They consist of six subgroups residing in southern Taiwan, each of which has its own dialect of the Rukai language. They honour clouded leopards and hundred-pacer snakes (A kind of viper), which they believe to be the spirits of their ancestors. In Nekojishi we refer to the Wutai tribe of the Rukai community. Aidridringane Adridringane Meaning "The hidden one" in the Rukai language, Aidridringane is an invisible, omnipresent spirit. The word is used in different ways, sometimes it refers to a single spirit, sometimes spirits as a whole. Aidridringane usually lives someplace within the wild and is also thought to have human emotions. The Rukai have many taboos, and if a taboo is violated, the soul of the violator will be taken by Aidridringane. In Nekojishi, Aidridingane is said to be the lord of the sacred lands, king of the hundred pacers. However, it is just a version of this diverse folklore. Wutai Wutai (霧台) Pronounced Vedai in the Rukai language, Wutai is located north- east of Pingtung, Taiwan. It is said that when the Rukai first came to this place, they saw many clouded leopards living in the area. (The Rukai people honour clouded leopards greatly). For this reason, they settled there, forming the Wutai tribe. LoI Mei Lou Mei (滷味) A common food in Taiwan. Lou Mei is made by stewing ingredients like tofu, meat balls, vegetables and varying other ingredients in soy sauce. Leopard Cat Leopard Cat (石虎) The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) is a small wild cat native to South and East Asia. A leopard cat is about the same size as a domestic cat, but slenderer, with longer legs and well-defined webs between its toes. Its small head is marked with two prominent dark stripes and a short and narrow white muzzle. People in Taiwan refer leopard cats as Shihu (lit. "Stone tiger"), which means "Tiger residing between the stones". (So it's a tiger somehow) The leopard cat is currently listed as an endangered species in Taiwan, with an estimated population below 500. Fudegong Fudegong (福德公) Fudegong (lit. "Lord of Blessing and Virtue"), also known as Tudigong (lit. "Lord of the Soil and the Ground"), is a deity who cares after the locals in Chinese folk religion and Taoism. Some people consider his formal title as Fudezhengshen (lit. "Right God of Blessing and Virtue"), but commoners often call him "grandfather", which reflects his close relationship with the common people. Fenling Fenling ( 分霊j Fenling, also known as "bunrei" or "wakemitama" in Japanese, is a term that indicates both the process of division for a god to be re-enshrined somewhere else, and the divided spirit which is the result of the division. Kaidao Kaidao (開道) In Mazu culture, Kaidao (lit. "clear the path") is a rite in the Holy Pilgrimage. During the Kaidao rite, guardian tigers lead the way and expel demons along the route for all the other gods in the pilgrimage. The Holy Pilgrimage is a ceremony where worshippers bring large god statues on a grand tour. People believe that gods can inspect their domain and see their people during the tour. Spirit Path Spirit Path Spirit paths are paths that usually traveled by spirits. In Nekojishi, these paths are shortcuts for spirits to move from one place to another quickly. Chi Chi Chi ( lit. "breath", "air", or "gas") represents "material energy" in traditional Chinese culture. Simply speaking, Chi is believed to be an active principle forming a part of every living thing. However, in some theories, Chi is actually the basic substance that forms everything, which implies a traditional opinion in Chinese culture that everything has life. In this case, both "visible things" and "invisible things" are made of Chi. So are gods and spirits. Although, normally when people talk about Chi, they only refer to the invisible energies imperceptible to humans. Therefore, when it is said that gods consume Chi from foods it refers to these imperceptible energies rather than any perceptible ones. This is why ordinary people don't notice any changes. Yaoguai Yaoguai Yaoguai (lit. the evil and strange), is a Chinese term that generally means "demon". Traditionally, Han people (China's largest ethnic group) believe that animals and lifeless things may obtain souls and human wisdoms if they become old enough. This kind of yaoguai is usually called "Jing" (lit. sprite), for example: Hulijing means "fox sprite" where "huli" means "fox". With the growth of their life, yaoguais may attain skills such as speaking human language, changing their appearance and possessing others. Spirit Mediums Rukai Spirit Mediums Rukai people communicate with their gods through the help of spirit mediums, such as oracles (barakalai) and witch doctors (taraivigi). There's only one oracle in each tribe to take care of major ceremonies. The oracle must be male and is selected by the nobility of the tribe. The residence of the oracle is called tabarakaladhane, and this place is also considered as the residence of the gods. On the other hand, there can be many witch doctors within a tribe. Witch doctors must be female and are believed to heal people with the power of a god called Pelenge. Kochapongane Kochapongane Kochapongane is a Rukai tribe located in Wutai, Pingtung. According to legends, a clouded leopard led a tribe to a place called Kochapongane six hundred years ago. This was where the tribe settled, forming the Kochapongane tribe of today. However, Kochapongane as seen on maps today is not the same place mentioned above as the entire tribe had to move due to poor environmental conditions between 1977 and 1979. Kogadavange Kogadavange Kongadavange is a Rukai tribe located in Maolin district, Kaohsiung. A long time ago, there were four small tribes in the mountains of Kongadavange. One day a hunter went hunting in Kongadavange with his hound (Some say that the name of his hound was Clouded Leopard, but others say that the hound itself was a clouded leopard), but the hound didn't come back home with him. When the hunter went back to Kongadavange, he found the hound prone on the ground near a spring. The hunter saw this as a sign that this might be a place of great fortune. After learning of the hunter's story, all four tribes moved into that place, forming the bigger tribe of Kongadavange. Ching Ming Ching Ming Also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day in English. Ching Ming is a traditional Chinese festival that takes place on the first day of the fifth solar term in the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. This makes it either the 4th or 5th of April in a given year. Ching Ming is also a public holiday in Taiwan. Boar Sausage Wild Boar Sausage There are many wild boars in the mountains of Taiwan, and boar cuisine is an indispensable part of Taiwanese aboriginal culture. In the past, a roasted boar would have been enough to fulfil an entire tribe's dinner- However, in modern times roasted boars are usually prepared and sold as small sausages, allowing city people to get a chance to enjoy this traditional delicacy. Other dishes such as stone barbecues and bamboo rice are considered modern aboriginal cuisine and are very popular in Taiwan. Suckling Pig Roast Suckling Pig Roast suckling pig is a traditional Chinese cuisine with a long history. Similar cuisines can also be found in other cultures around the world. Traditionally speaking, roast suckling pig refers to a dish involving a whole pig, but smaller sizes are more popular these days. You can even find the dish sold in night markets. In Chinese tradition, the pig is considered an important sacrifice. Nowadays Cantonese style suckling pig is well-known around the world, probably because of the popularity attained from the local population's great respect to the formal sacrifice traditions. In a formal sacrifice rite, three kinds of sacrifice must be prepared: raw, half-cooked, and well-cooked. According to some traditions, raw sacrifices are for the guardian tigers, half-cooked sacrifices are for the primal gods, and well-cooked sacrifices are for the ancestors. For ordinary families, an easy way to prepare this is to provide three different dishes made from just one suckling pig. Old Street Old Street Snacks The street village in Nekojishi is based on a real attraction in Taipei. Both millet mochi and iced hot spring eggs are specialties there. Mochi, or rice cake, is a traditional food in Southern China, usually made from sticky rice. Millet is rarely planted in Southern China but is a staple food of the Amis tribe in Taiwan. Therefore, millet mochi can be considered as a dessert that represents the history of both Han and Amis people. Iced hot spring eggs are made by chilling a boiled egg in ice water. Said eggs are boiled in hot spring water so they have a special aroma that's hard to duplicate. Orthodox God Orthodox God As Yin and Yang may refer to "under the surface" and "on the surface" correspondingly, Taoism temples fall into two categories: Yang Temples and Yin Temples. A Yang Temple is a temple that enshrines a god (or multiple gods) with "genuine godship", which means the god has been authenticated by The Jade Emperor or a human emperor. A god with genuine godship is considered an orthodox god. Similarly, a Yin Temple is a temple that enshrines a god (or multiple gods) without "genuine godship". Normally, a Yin Temple is built by the local people to serve local ghosts or yaoguai as gods to appease them and prevent them from harming people. Clairvoyant and Clairaudience Clairvoyant and Clairaudience Clairvoyant and Clairaudience are two gods who work under Goddess Mazu. They were both yaoguai before enlisted by the goddess. Clairvoyant can see things thousands of miles away, and Clairaudience can hear every voice carried by the wind. They are the left and right hand assistants to assist Goddess Mazu in observing the condition of her people. Tung Blossom Festival The Hakka Tung Blossom Festival Established in 2002 in Taiwan, the Hakka Tung Blossom Festival is a recent festival that promotes Hakka culture and ecotourism. Tung flowers typically bloom around April or May, as such the date of the festival changes every year to reflect this. Grand Tree Lord Grand Tree Lord (樹王公, Shuwanggong) In some Chinese traditions, people tie a red strip of cloth to old trees as a rite that acknowledges that such tree has a soul, a tree god. For some very old trees, people may even build temples for them enshrine them as gods. Those tree gods are called Grand Tree Lord. Grand Tree Lords are considered local gods, similar to gods of soil. They are thought to protect their villages but are not considered high-level gods. Most Grand Tree Lords are either banyan trees or camphor trees. Guanyin Guanyin (觀音) Guanyin, named from the Sanskrit Avalokitasvara, which means "sound perceiver", is an East Asian bodhisattva. Bodhisattva is a term used to describe those motivated by great compassion, therefore Guanyin is commonly known as the "Goddess of Mercy". Guanyin is one of the most famous gods known to Chinese people. According to the needs and requests of the worshippers, a bodhisattva may appear as either male or a female. Therefore, we may also say that bodhisattvas don't have any genders. The majority of Guanyin statues built in China before the Tang Dynasty were male, although most people now consider Guanyin as female. This is also why she is now known as the "Goddess of Mercy". Yin-Yang Eye Yin-Yang Eye Yin-Yang Eye, or simply the third eye, refers to the ability to see supernatural things including ghosts and spirits. Most people believe that one with the Yin-Yan Eye can only see ghosts, but it is also said that this ability can allow you to see gods as well. Although, some people with the ability can only see specific kinds of gods. The Chief God The Chief God A temple usually doesn't enshrine only one god. According to the needs of their worshippers, large temples may contain statues of multiple gods for people to worship. Typically, there are four types of god in such temples: The Chief God: The god primarily worshipped in the temple. People usually name the temple after the god's name/title. For example: Mazu Temple. Secondary Gods: Secondary gods are god related to the chief god, including the chief god's spouse, subordinates, or guards. Temple-Sharing Gods: They don't have specific relations with the chief god, but they are enshrined in the same temple for various reasons. Visiting Gods: Gods enshrined in other temples with their statues temporarily placed in said temple. For example, many gods of soil have guardian tiger statues as their guards. In such case, the god of soil is the Chief God and the guardian tigers are secondary gods in the temple. Emperor Wenchang Emperor Wenchang (文昌帝君, Wenchang Di Jun) Emperor Wenchang, also known as Wenchang Wang (lit. King Wenchang), is a Taoist deity worshipped as the god of culture and literature. He has historically been called upon by scholars and writers who need inspiration or students who need help right before an exam. Traditionally speaking, Emperor Wenchang doesn't bless you for achieving literary success, but for attaining a high exam ranking. Therefore, you may still ask help from this god of literature for mastering a math exam. The Jade Emperor The Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝, Yuahuang Da Di) In Chinese culture, the Jade Emperor is one of the representations of the first god, and the god of the highest position in Taoist theology. He is also known as Tian Gong, which literally means "The Heavenly Lord". Instead of crafting statues, worshippers of The Jade Emperor build "Incensory of Heavenly Lords". This is because people believe that crafting statues with The Jade Emperor's appearance is disrespectful to his supreme position. Princess Baleng Princess Baleng Princess Baleng is a famous heroine of Rukai legend. Her story has had many different incarnations as the Rukai legends are only passed down through oral history. This is because the Rukai language doesn't have any written form. Baleng was the daughter of the leader of Dadele tribe. One day she was lost in the woods and met a young man and soon fell in love with him. When the couple returned to Dadele tribe along with the young man's clans men, what Baleng's family saw was their daughter along with dozens of snakes. It turned out that the young man was the monarch of said snakes' kingdom. Earth Spirit Earth Spirit Earth spirits protect houses, they are usually considered to live inside a corner of the kitchen. Because they're considered the ghosts of people who used to live in the nearby area, people don't typically craft statues for earth spirits. City God’s Twelve City God’s Twelve A city god is not only the protector of city, but also the judge of the underworld. To handle their routine affairs, a city god usually has multiple subordinates to help with the administration tasks. Based on the size of the city, the number of subordinates can be three, six, twelve, or twenty-four. Xia-Hai City God Xia-Hai City God ( 霞海城隍, Xia-Hai Chenghuang) Located on Dihua Street in Taipei, the Xia-Hai City God Temple is the most famous City God Temple in Taipei. In 19th century, immigrants from Quanzhou, Fujian brought the statue of the Xia-Hai City God to Taipei, who soon became the city god of Taipei. Even though the Xia-Hai City God Temple is only around 200 square metres in space there are more than 600 statues enshrined there, making it the "most crowded" temple in Taiwan. Mountain God of Soil Mountain God of Soil Mountain gods and gods of soil both originate from the worship of nature. Nowadays, people in Taiwan treat both the mountain gods and the gods of soil as the same. Therefore there are many temples that enshrine the "mountain god of soil" in the mountains. Fuxing Township Fuxing Township, Taoyuan Fuxing Township is the only mountain area in Taoyuan City. The area has many fruit farms famous for their peaches and persimmons. In 2015, Fuxing Township became the Fuxing District of Taoyuan City, however the story of Nekojishi takes place before then. Red Quinoa Red Quinoa Red quinoa, or Taiwan quinoa (Chenopodium formosanum), is a type of quinoa that grows in Taiwan. It can be used as wine yeast or as an ingredient for baking. Millet Wine Millet Wine Aboriginal Taiwanese people have unique wine culture of using millet to make wines. Taking the Rukai people as an example, they call millet wine "bava", which means "water that makes people not shy". Also, Rukai people don't drink alone and will share the wine with everyone on the table. Poe Divination Poe Divination (擲筊, Zhi Jiao) Poe Divination (lit. "throwing poe") is a traditional Chinese divination method, in which the divination seeker takes two little wooden pieces (poes, or Jiao Bei in Mandarin, lit. "bamboo cups") and throws or drops them onto the floor. The positions of the pieces dictate a divine answer on whether the future course of actions that the seeker is contemplating is recommended or not. The poes themselves are made out of wood or bamboo carved into a crescent shape. Each poe is round on one side (the Yin side) and flat on the other (the Yang side). There are four possible answers that the divination can produce: - Holy Poe: One poe Yin and the other Yang indicates a "yes". - Angry Poe: Both poes Yin indicates a "no", It is said the gods are displeased by the question. - Laughing Poe: If both poes are Yang. It can have different interpretations since "laughing" means the gods are laughing at the question. Normally it means the answer to the question is too obvious, and the querent should not bother gods with such an easy question. - If one or both poes are dropped but stand on their sides, it indicates that the gods do not understand the querent's question. Memorial Meeting Memorial Meeting in Chinese Tradition In a memorial meeting, relatives of the deceased light incense as a way of mourning. However, non-relatives such as colleagues and friends cannot light incense. They may only pick up the ashes of the incense and sprinkle them as a final salute to the deceased. This tradition is considered to have originated from Buddhism and is commonly practiced in many Asian countries.Category:Glossary